More registering for NID but still no printers yet

NATIONAL Identity registrations in the National Capital District have been progressing well since 2015, according to PNG Civil and Identity Registry.
Team Leader corporate registrations Chris Hoveombo said less people were coming in which meant that most had already been covered in the government project.
Hoveombo said initially when the project began, not many people showed up because they misunderstood its purpose. But after an extensive awareness was conducted by the Government through the mainstream and social media, people began to realise its importance.
“They then began to turn up in numbers to our main registration stations at the Four Mile office (now at Moale Haus) and Vision City, including our mobile registration kits throughout NCD,” Hoveombo said.
“Recently we have begun noticing a drop in registration numbers.
“Usually, officers at registration points registered about 100 people a day but lately officers have been receiving less than 20 a day.”
Hoveombo said the printing of NID cards was delayed by the breakdown of two printing machines last year.
“The management will soon be purchasing new machines with a card printing capacity of 2000 a day to replace the two which are dysfunctional now that used to print 400 cards per day per machine.”
Hoveombo said they were positive about getting everyone registered before the 2022 general election.
The Papua New Guinea National Identification card project was launched in November 2014, and slated to become a universal ID card for all Papua New Guinean citizens.
The card would contain information on births, marriages, and deaths and become ID registers.
It was a joint project with the Electoral Commission, Civil Registry and the National Statistical Office.